Minecraft: Story Mode is More Expensive on Nintendo Switch

Telltale Games’ narrative spin-off of the popular, blocky building game Minecraft, is set to release on the new Nintendo console sometime this year, but with one key difference. The Nintendo Switch version of Minecraft: Story Modeis more expensive than it is on other platforms.

Earlier this week both Amazon and GameStop opened up pre-orders for the game, which sees a character called Jesse team up with friends and try to save the world by taking on the Wither Storm. However, while Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure costs $30 on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii U, it costs $40 on the Nintendo Switch.

On social media, fans have already begun to voice their frustrations about the price disparity. Pointing to another third-party game, Rime, which also costs more on the Switch, many have said that they just plan to buy Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure on another console instead. Moreover, given that the Switch is a new platform for third-party developers to learn, many are also concerned that despite the higher price, the Switch version will end up being technically inferior.

It’s true that the higher price could just be because the Complete Adventure, which contains all episodes of Story Mode released so far, would be brand new to the Switch while it released on other platforms in December. However, the lack of clarity is also raising eyebrows among fans.

A recent report suggested that Switch games are more expensive because of a more complex manufacturing process, as well as a Nintendo policy that requires physical and digital versions of a game be the same price. Despite third-party developers seemingly corroborating this information, Nintendo itself has not confirmed anything.

The lack of information and the continued higher prices will only keep causing a headache for fans, Nintendo, and publishers. If this pattern continues, publishers might not see the value in porting games to the Switch, which would, in turn, impact sales of the console. It’s still early for the Switch, though, and there is plenty of time for Nintendo to address concerns head-on, hopefully in an effort to make the platform more attractive to developers and publishers.

Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure will release on Nintendo Switch in 2017.